DD will not nap without a fight. I spend at least 20 minutes prior to each nap with her throwing a tantrum. (I know she is only 7 months, but, it seriously seems like a tantrum.) She typically goes down at night super easily... so, why is it so hard during the day? Any tips for dealing with it? I'm at my wit's end.

We don't have a routine exactly, apart from night time. I only recently started bringing her upstairs to do naptime too. The bedroom isn't as dark for naps as it is for night, but the curtains are pulled and the light is out. She used to just fall asleep with bottles and that was great, but not so much anymore. Plus, it's all complicated by her reflux and the need to keep her upright for a while after eating. She has a morning nap, roughly two hours after she wakes up, usually naps over lunch, and then in the mid afternoon. In between we do lots of floor play and feedings.

She still eats like a newborn according to the "book" but I don't pay much attention to books. She eats every 1 1/2-2 hours during the day, and then sleeps from 7:30-7 ish with 1-2 wake ups at night. (She is on formula.) She's crawling around now, so I thought that would have made her more likely to nap.

We are getting much less napping now that C started crawling, actually. She is just too busy and interested so she fights getting tired. (We have never done scheduled or alone naps, though, just sleeping while held or worn.) I just think she probably wants to be on the move, not sleep. My oldest settled into two regular naps around 10 mos and I don't fight baby to sleep on her own.

Around 7 months mine went down to only 2 naps. Maybe try and consolidate the lunchtime and afternoon nap? I would get a routine going. And sometimes it's just hard, both my girls went through sleep fighting phases for nap time...

Routines are hard at first but you will find if you make one and stick to it that it actually gives you a lot more freedom. At 7 months old a pretty typical schedule is one morning nap and one afternoon nap.

__________________ The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things donít always soften the bad things, but vice versa the bad things donít always spoil the good things and make them unimportant- The Doctor

Things I would try would be get a black out shade and a sound machine for her room. Then make sure you've got some kind of nap routine much like your nightime routine. Kids like routine and dependability and don't fight as much if they know what's coming. We like to go up and have about 30 minutes prior to nap to drink a bottle, read a book and generally just wind down. DS1 was never good at two naps a day around 7-8 months he dropped one and just takes one power nap for three hours. He still does this at two years. DS2 is five months and his am nap is a struggle and if he's really pitching a fit I put him in the pack and go that route. Good luck. There is nothing more frustrating that babies sleep schedules.